Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 126: Xia Liang’s Chocolates

Vol 2 Chapter 126: Xia Liang’s Chocolates

The second person to start handing out chocolates was Xia Liang.

Leaving aside Bai Jingxuan—who was still confused after being suddenly pinched on the cheek by Veronica—the other two had clearly already adapted to the process. As Xia Liang made her way around the table, handing out chocolates one by one, even Lin Xiaolu knew to reach out politely to accept it, whispering a soft “Thanks” as she did.

Compared to Bai Jingxuan’s big chocolate blocks, Xia Liang’s creations looked much smaller just from the packaging alone. Everyone received a palm-sized box, tied with ribbon and adorned with a variety of decorative bows. Beside each bow was a dried flower that matched the recipient’s codename. For example, Lin Xiaolu’s box had a tiny dried white rose; Veronica’s had a paper-crafted Veronica flower; and naturally, Bai Jingxuan’s had an edelweiss.

“What kind of flower is this?”

The sting on her cheek faded quickly under her curiosity. Bai Jingxuan examined the little box in her hands, her eyes full of surprise.

“That one? It’s your codename flower—Bosetsu, the edelweiss,” Xia Liang said with a smile. “Never seen one before?”

“Nope, first time.”

Bai Jingxuan stared intently at the fake flower on the box. “So this is what ‘Bosetsu’ looks like...”

While she focused on the flower, on the other side, Veronica was also inspecting the box Xia Liang had given her.

As expected—so thoughtful.

That was her first impression upon seeing the packaging.

There was no doubt Xia Liang had come up with the idea well in advance. She had clearly decided what she wanted to do before today, and prepared all these codename-themed decorations accordingly.

It was just so… Xia Liang. If a random judge, unaware of any background details, were to score the chocolate packaging from Bai Jingxuan, Veronica, and Xia Liang, Xia Liang would probably come out on top.

Of course, that’s not to say Bai Jingxuan’s wasn’t good. But while Bai Jingxuan went all in emotionally, trying to touch a few people with sincerity, Xia Liang’s strength was in meticulously crafted gifts that left the best first impression on everyone.

And this difference in style showed not only in the packaging, but also in the chocolates themselves.

When Veronica took her chocolate out of the box, she was stunned—it was shaped exactly like her Heartstone Flower.

To be fair, because of the Heartstone’s intricate structure, Xia Liang couldn’t recreate every detail, but at first glance, Veronica genuinely couldn’t tell what was off.

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan’s Heartstone Seeds were the same. Compared to Lin Xiaolu, Bai Jingxuan had been a Bud-tier Magical Girl longer, so her seed looked more mature—almost like it was starting to sprout leaves. Xia Liang had noticed even this subtle difference and reflected it in the chocolate designs.

“This is so good it’s honestly frustrating.”

Holding her Heartstone-shaped chocolate, Lin Xiaolu muttered under her breath. Even though she already knew what Xia Liang would give out, now that it was in her hands, she couldn’t help but feel disheartened thinking about what she had made herself.

Still, the fact that Xia Liang had noticed the difference between her Heartstone and Bai Jingxuan’s did make Lin Xiaolu feel... a little happy.

Yes—just a little.

“Thank you, Xia Liang-jie!”

Bai Jingxuan, as always, was more direct. She jumped out of her seat, ran over to Xia Liang, and gave her a hug. “But now that it looks so pretty, I kind of don’t want to eat it. Can I just keep it on display?”

“Well... you should still eat it. Chocolate doesn’t keep that well.”

Xia Liang returned the hug gently. “If it melts from the heat or dries out and cracks, it’ll look bad and won’t taste good either. That would be a real shame, right?”

“I mean, I get it, but eating a chocolate version of your own Heartstone… feels kinda weird.”

Lin Xiaolu also hesitated. “Doesn’t it feel like biting into your own arm? Like it’ll hurt the moment you take a bite? It’s just… weird.”

“Really? I don’t think so.”

Xia Liang tilted her head. “If anything, it should feel like you’re ‘completing’ yourself by eating it. It’s kind of a satisfying, full-circle moment.”

“As if.” Lin Xiaolu rolled her eyes at her.

While the others got into a heated debate over whether or not one should eat a Heartstone-shaped chocolate, Veronica quietly fiddled with her box—and made a new discovery.

She had a feeling something was off with the weight of the box. After taking out the Heartstone Flower chocolate, it should have felt empty, but it was still a bit heavy—like there was something else inside.

Poking around with her finger, she found a hidden compartment. Inside was another chocolate.

It was shaped like a delicate leaf, with veins made entirely of runes. Based on her experience, there was no doubt—this was a Heartstone too. In fact, it was Xia Liang’s Heartleaf.

“…Why is this in my box?”

She picked it up and looked at Xia Liang, puzzled.

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan were still deep in their discussion, so Xia Liang seemed to not hear Veronica’s question and continued debating with them.

“Xiaojin,” Veronica called again.

This time, she clearly saw a flicker of unease on Xia Liang’s face, though she still pretended not to hear.

Veronica narrowed her eyes. Something wasn’t adding up. She walked over to Xia Liang and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hey.”

“…What is it, Senpai?” This time, Xia Liang couldn’t pretend anymore.

“So why was this chocolate in my box? That design’s your Heartstone, right?” Veronica stared her down.

“Oh, that one.”

Xia Liang blinked and averted her gaze. “That was from my first test batch. I used my own Heartstone as the model. Since it was already made, I figured I’d just give it away instead of keeping it. So I gave it to you…”

“Why me?” Veronica pressed on.

“Well, because you’re our senior, our teacher. We all respect you the most!”

Xia Liang grinned. “The extra chocolate should go to the most esteemed person, right?”

“Hmm… I guess?” Lin Xiaolu muttered in agreement.

“Mhm!” Bai Jingxuan nodded enthusiastically.

Backed by the others, Xia Liang relaxed, spreading her hands. “So that’s all there is to it. It was extra, so I gave it to you. Just eat it without thinking too much, Senpai.”

“Really?” The explanation sounded legit, but Veronica couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

“Well, since everyone’s weird about eating chocolates shaped like their Heartstones, why don’t you try mine and tell them how it tastes?”

Xia Liang added quickly, “I mean, I don’t think the shape is a problem, but if no one wants to try it and give feedback, that’s kind of sad for me. So Senpai, you should show them how it’s done!”

Taste-test it?

Veronica raised a brow. The request made sense, but still felt odd.

Her glasses flickered faintly as she activated her magic. A quick scan told her the chocolate had the same composition as the others—even Bai Jingxuan’s. In short, it was just regular chocolate.

So… she really just wants me to taste it?

After thinking it over, Veronica figured there was no reason to refuse. She nodded. “Alright.”

She lifted the chocolate to her lips.

It had been in her hand for a while, so the stem had slightly melted. Dark liquid oozed out, clinging stickily to her fingers. The sweetness wafted from the chocolate’s tip—just parting her lips slightly, Veronica could already taste it in her mouth, even feel it on the back of her tongue and in her throat.

Xia Liang, at some point, had begun watching Veronica intently. Her expression was calm, but even she could feel her heart pounding.

She wasn’t entirely sure why—but the idea of Veronica eating a chocolate replica of her Heartstone… felt kind of…

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, cheeks turning red, heartbeat picking up. As Veronica’s teeth were just about to sink in, her brain nearly short-circuited.

Then—under everyone’s gaze—

—Mmph.

Veronica stuffed the chocolate back into Xia Liang’s mouth.

“If I eat yours, it’ll be like everyone gets a piece except you. That’d be weird,” she said, wiping her fingers with a napkin, eyes lowered. “So I figured, if you really want us all to taste it, I’ll eat my own.”

With that, she turned and walked back to her seat.

“Well, if Veronica says so…” Lin Xiaolu, who usually followed her lead, turned back to her own chocolate.

“That looked… really tasty,” Bai Jingxuan murmured, swayed by the mood between Veronica and Xia Liang. To her, eating something delicious was the best form of respect.

As for Xia Liang—she stood frozen, the chocolate still in her mouth.

After a long pause, she slowly bit down.

Delicious. Sweet. Guess I did a good job.

That was her first thought.

Veronica fed me chocolate. So happy.

That was her second.

And judging from her ears turning red-hot, the second thought definitely took up more space in her mind than the first.